


Good Job, Abbers

by thathipsterkaiya



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood, Violinist, all fluff, dan and phil's child plays violin, flufferoni, i swear it's adorable, light anst, literally no angst, music fic, parent!phan au, slightly ooc!phil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 12:45:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11127243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thathipsterkaiya/pseuds/thathipsterkaiya
Summary: Dan has always wanted a musician for a son or daughter. When Dan and Phil adopt a little girl named Abby, Dan decides to have her play the violin.





	Good Job, Abbers

Dan Howell has always wanted a musician for a son or daughter. The 24-year old young man always cooed at children, especially during meet-ups, and also appreciated the fine arts, such as Broadway musicals and classical music.

A few years after Dan and Phil came out as a couple, they ultimately decided that they should adopt a child. That was after months and months of Dan’s pleading, begging, and very tempting kisses. When the young couple adopted little Abby on December 12, 2022, Dan and Phil immediately fell in love with the 4-year old blond-haired toddler.

It was on Dan’s insistence that Abby learned to play a musical instrument, particularly the piano. However, Phil refused to buy a decent piano in place of Dan’s out-of-tune one due to their expenses.

“Come on, Phil! Don’t you think Abbers would be a good musician?” Dan pleaded to Phil, whose eyebrows were knit together in frustration as he edited his newest video on his laptop, black fringe slightly covering his blue eyes. “We’ll make a prodigy pianist out of her!”

“I thought we went over this a million times! We can’t afford a decent piano for her to learn! If you want her to be a musician so badly, try another instrument.”

Dan huffed in annoyance, arms folding across his black fabric clad chest. Why wouldn’t Phil let their daughter be exposed to the fine arts world? It wasn’t fair!

“I’m going for a walk, and I’m taking Abby with me,” Dan said finally, rising smoothly from his sofa crease. He marched out of the lounge and went into the office/Abby’s bedroom to collect Abby.

Dan peeked his head through the door and smiled at the sight of the small little girl toying with one of Phil’s old cameras from back in 2008. Dan wondered why Phil still kept that camera after all those years, perhaps for sentimental reasons.

“Hey Abbers,” Dan called out in his soft endearing voice, “wanna go on a journey with daddy?”

Abby carelessly dropped the black and white camera on the butterfly rug she was playing with and stood up, exclaiming happily. “Yay! A trip to Marshmallow Land!”

Dan giggled and nodded in agreement. “A trip to Marshmallow Land indeed,” he said as he scooped Abby up into his arms. Dan snatched his phone from the lounge after throwing a brief playful glare at Phil while Abby wasn’t looking, and the two went off into town.

~

It was at that moment Dan knew what musical instrument his daughter was destined to play. His brown eyes watched carefully as Abby plucked the strings of a toy violin the music shop employee offered to the little girl. She giggled as her index finger pulled on the fattest string gently, a low note resonating across the shop. Then with tender care, Abby lightly plucked the thinnest string, a high-pitched sound spreading through the room. Abby squealed as she covered her ears and giggled.

“That’s the E-string. And next to that one is the A-string, then D-string, then G-string.” The music shop employee then proceeded to pluck each of the four strings on the violin respectively.

“Do you wanna try playing it with the bow?”

Abby nodded excitedly, lifting her arms up and making grabbing motions with her hands as the music shop employee gently placed the tiny violin and the small bow in her hands. The employee showed Abby the proper way to rest her violin, just under her chin and framed comfortably on her shoulder, and the right way to hold the bow.

“Try to make bunny ears, in a way,” the employee instructed. He demonstrated by putting down his ring and middle finger on top of his thumb, leaving on his index finger and his pinkie sticking up. “And use the mouth of the bunny so the bow is in its mouth, and make its ears wrap around the bow as well.”

The employee demonstrated the concept on a larger full-size bow. Abby attempted a few tries to mimic the right “bunny ear” bow grip and finally succeeded after what seemed like the tenth try.

“And now you can play! Just draw the bow across the string. Don’t be afraid, the string won’t break.”

Abby drew the bow across her favorite string, the G-string. A toyish yet somewhat clear sound came out of the quarter-size violin, and Dan grinned.

“I think we’ll rent that one, then.” Dan walked up to Abby and bent down to ruffle her hair affectionately. “What do you say, Abbers? Wanna play the violin?”

And twenty minutes, Dan and Abby left the music shop. Dan carried a small rectangular case holding the quarter-size violin, the bow, and a complimentary rosin and spare strings for each of the four strings. Abby was perched on Dan’s shoulders, bopping her head up and down excitedly.

When Dan and Abby returned back home, the first thing Dan did was take out the business card the kind employee offered to him and dialed the number on his phone.

“Hello? Is this Miss Jennifer? Yes, my name is Dan Howell. I have a daughter named Abby who’d love to learn how to play the violin. Do you think we could schedule some summer lessons for her?”

“Hi, Mr. Howell! I’d be delighted to teach your daughter! Would you like my email so we can compromise a date?”

Dan can feel a grin creeping onto his face again. “Definitely.”

~

“Hi there, Abigail! I’m Miss Jennifer, but feel free to call me Miss Jenn.”

“Hi…”

“Come on, Abbers, don’t be shy. This young lady is here to help you teach violin. See, look, she has a violin too!” Dan said, encouragingly pushing Abby toward Miss Jenn before taking a seat on the couch.

Abby’s blue eyes sparkled slightly in curiosity when she saw the beautiful full-size violin resting in the open case.

“Can you play for me?”

Miss Jenn smiled. “Sure thing!”

Abby sat cross-legged on the floor, petting Miss Jenn’s cat Andy while watching Miss Jenn play a short song, which she called “Gavotte.” The four-year-old girl was completely mesmerized by Miss Jenn’s playing, her eyes shining a brilliant blue like a bright sky. It was full of wonder and amazement.

When Miss Jenn finished playing, she brought down her violin from her shoulder and rested her bow arm. “So how about it, Abby? Shall we start your first lesson?”

Abby had never nodded so eagerly in all four years of her life.

~

“I never knew she was doing so well in her lessons,” Phil murmured.

“That’s what you get for not willing to accompany Abby to her lessons,” Dan retorted smugly before focusing his attention back on little Abby, who was playing her first ever recital.

Each year, Miss Jenn and her friend Miss Chow hosted a recital for all of their violin students exclusively for the students’ friends and families. Dan brought his camera and Phil tagged along as well, refusing to miss an important concert of his own daughter.

“Yeah, yeah. But she’s a natural, she’s better than half of the kids her age in this recital,” Phil whispered.

“Told you she’d be a prodigy,” Dan said proudly.

When Abby finished playing Minuet, drawing her bow on the last note and lifting her bow up into the air, the audience clapped, some even cheering.

Dan smiled with pride and stood up on his feet when Abby clumsily bowed in her blue poufy dress, her violin and bow in rest position, as Miss Jenn called it. Phil slowly stood up too, a smile on his face.

~

Dan fiddled with his thumbs nervously, Phil sat beside him, squeezing Dan’s arm comfortingly.

“She’ll do fine,” Phil whispered in the slightly intense atmosphere.

Dan and Phil were currently waiting just outside the doors of where Abby entered to play for the judges. Miss Jenn decided to have Abby enter a contest of some sort called the Bach Festival, where students of different musical instruments prepared a solo piece from the era of Bach and played for judges to receive criticism and a rating of either Superior, Excellent, Satisfactory, or Needs Improvement.

Dan was at the end of his wits, anxiety, and nervousness flowing through his veins and overtaking part of his logic and calm composure.

“But what if she slips up? The judges will surely-“

Phil pressed his lips against Dan’s, briefly interrupting the brown-haired man’s rambling. Phil pulled away and chuckled before brushing his fingers against Dan’s fringe.

“Abby’s been practicing weeks for this. Her teacher has gone over this piece almost a hundred times with her. And when she played for us, she sounded good. Do you remember that?”

Dan nodded, his eyes drifting down to the complimentary bag filled with pencils, a CD of Bach pieces, and a small booklet about the Bach Festival.

“I hope she does well,” Dan finally said.

“She’ll be fine.”

A few moments later, Dan and Phil roused at the sound of a door opening. Dan was quick to stand up when Abby submitted her forms to the assistants waiting at a table nearby. When Abby turned around and walked over to her parents, Dan looked at the 9-year old expectantly.

“Well? How was it?” Dan asked as he pulled Abby into a hug and patted her shoulders gently.

“I think I did well. No slip-ups this time!” Abby smiled as she pulled away from Dan.

“Do you think you got the Superior rating?” Phil asked curiously.

“Hopefully, but I’ll be happy with an Excellent!”

“I’m sure you did more than excellent, Abbers,” Dan said before ruffling Abby’s blond hair.

“Ack! Dad! You ruined my hair!”

Dan giggled and Phil smiled at the exchange.

“Papa, stop him!” Abby exclaimed as she covered her head and ducked away from Dan’s clawing hand.

“Stop it, Dan!” Phil chastised lightly, but the scold quickly deteriorated with Phil’s chuckle afterward.

Just then, the woman at the desk walked up to Abby.

“Abigail Howell-Lester?”

Abby turned to face the woman and the nervousness returned to her face. “Yes?”

“Your results,” the woman said as she handed Abby the handout now filled with the judge’s responses, comments, and feedback, and also the certificate underneath.

“By the way,” the woman added, “Mr. Robertson said you played very well.”

Abby smiled, and a bit of hope filled Dan. Just a little bit, though.

Abby read through the judge’s comments before taking out the certificate. In elegant thin cursive written at the bottom was the word Superior at the bottom.

“What rating did you get?” Dan asked eagerly.

“Superior,” Abby said in disbelief, her hand trembling as she held the certificate.

“Are you serious?!” Dan half whispered and half shouted as he nearly snatched the certificate from Abby’s hands and pressed it four centimeters away from his eyes to see the inked rating up close.

Phil smiled and hugged Abby lightly. “Good job.”

“Thanks, Papa.”

“I’m so proud of you, Abbers,” Dan said. “Now let’s go frame this certificate and put it up on your wall.”

~

And frame it up on the wall Dan did. Just as Dan had foresaw, Abby had become a naturally talented violinist, fascinating many witnesses of her playing, advancing her seats in the London Philharmonic Youth Orchestra until she finally reached the first chair (concertmaster), and even going as far as placing in the junior’s string division (in primary school) and the senior’s division (in secondary school) of the London Music Club Competition.

Abby’s parents couldn’t have been any prouder of their quickly maturing violinist as she grew in her skills as she did in her height.

Dan, especially, embraced Abby’s musical talents. Sometimes he offered to accompany Abby on the piano when her solo repertoire needed piano accompaniment. And Abby loved the attention from her dad. However, despite the many praises and attention that were given to her for her exceptionally wonderful violin skills, there was one person Abby had yet to move emotionally. And that was her papa, Phil.

~

It was Abby’s last year in secondary school before she moved to the Manchester of University. It was one month before the London Music Club and two months before her final London Philharmonic Youth Orchestra concert.

Abby made it her ultimate mission to make her papa Phil proud, and to finally move him and make him fully appreciate her talent in violin. And Abby intended on doing just that when she planned on winning first place in the London Music Club Competition and playing at the Winner’s Recital.

~

“THIRD PLACE?!?!” Abby shouted, her jaw dropped open in disbelief. The 17-year old girl was looking at the final results for the competition to see where she placed. And Abby had only been placed third.

One hundred and one different emotions and feelings flooded through Abby at once, the main ones including anger, disappointment, and sadness. Abby felt like burying her head in her pillow as she curled up under her duvet and made quick to slam her laptop shut and shove it off of her lap.

Abby did as planned and buried her head in her pillow and made a fortress out of her purple duvet and curled up underneath it.

A pool of disappointment finally settled in Abby as she realized she wouldn’t even get to play at the Winner’s Recital. The first and second place winners of the senior division got to play at the Winner’s Recital, and Abby had placed just below the cut-off line.

Abby was in a whirlwind of her thoughts, one of them which rosin would be the most hard-hitting for when she’d throw it at the first place winner during the Winner’s Recital when she heard a soft knock.

“Abbers? Is everything all right?”

Shoot. It’s papa.

“Er, everything’s fine!” Abby called out in response, shifting slightly in her duvet so she could hide her laptop under her pillow.

“Can I come in?”

“Erm… sure,” Abby said, sighing in defeat.

Phil walked into the room and knit his eyebrows in confusion when he saw the lights dimmed down and a large moving lump of duvet on the bed.

“Abby? What’s wrong?” Phil said gently as he approached the side of the bed and nudged Abby’s arm for her to move over. Abby did so and Phil climbed into the bed and slipped himself under the duvet to see the tear-stained cheeks of Abby’s face.

“Why’re you crying?” Phil asked as he wiped some new tears dripping down Abby’s cheeks with his thumbs.

“I… I-I didn’t place first or second place, papa. I only got third.”

“Well, that’s okay. I’m sure your dad will understand. You can’t win all the time.”

“I know, but I wanted you to see me play my piece.”

“Well, your dad heard you play your piece, Abbers. He said you sounded great.”

And that’s when frustration flooded through Abby, but with all her self-control, kept it hidden.

“Whatever. I’ll live, papa. Now can I please be alone?”

“Sure thing,” Phil said as he slipped out of Abby’s bed and walked to the door. “Dinner will be out in ten minutes, ok?”

“Okay,” Abby replied weakly as Phil walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. And when the door closed, she almost wanted to scream into her pillow.

~

“You’ll do great, Abbers. I know you’ll do great!”

“Thanks, dad.”

Dan snapped out of his encouraging state and looked at his daughter, who seemed to be staring glumly at her reflection in the mirror. Dan looked in the mirror to see his beautiful 17-year old daughter, clad in a soft fabric black sleeve top and a pair of black dress pants with black flats. Her blond hair was clipped back to emphasize her heart-shaped face. However, instead of her usual bright smile, a frown was present.

“Something wrong?”

Abby slumped her shoulders, sighed, and replied softly, “I just wish papa would say the same thing to me too.”

Dan frowned and his brown eyes drooped a bit. “Your papa knows how talented you are as a violinist, you know. He just doesn’t really find classical music as interesting as other things. But he still appreciates your wonderful gift. You just need to understand your papa a bit.”

Abby nods, but the frown still remains on her face until Dan decides to turn her towards him. He looks Abby in the eyes, his brown ones meeting her blue.

“Hey,” he began gently, “you’re concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, you have a solo piece as a graduating member. I see how you play and practice. You’ll do wonderfully. I believe in you, Abbers.”

“Thanks, dad,” Abby said gratefully, a smile creeping onto her face for the first time today.

~

“Meditation from Thais?” Phil said incredulously, the tone of his voice revealing that he didn’t enjoy the sound of a slow piece.

“Yup!” Dan replied. “She’s gonna play that one beautifully.”

“How long is it?”

“About five minutes, so not that long.”

“Seriously? It takes five minutes to jam a melody into one piece?”

“Oh come on, Phil!” Dan exclaimed, slightly frustrated, as he snatched the program from Phil’s hands.

“What?”

“If you’re not going to appreciate our daughter’s performance, then you’re better off leaving.”

“I didn’t mean it that way, Dan! Jesus Christ!”

“Then why do you seem irritable by the solo piece?”

“Well, I’m slightly worried I might fall asleep! It even has the word Meditation in the title, for crying out loud! May as well announce to the whole audience to bring a pillow and some blankets.”

“Get out.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve disappointed our daughter quite enough. If you don’t want to be here, then leave.”

“Fine, I will leave.”

And that’s how Phil ended up in outside the building, sitting on the fountain on his phone, for the first half of the performance. He was scrolling through Facebook, looking at all of the albums containing Abby’s violin endeavors. He had already gone through the violin camp in Scotland when Abby was turning twelve, her first Youth Orchestra concert in a village resort, and when she performed as a guest soloist in a part of the Bach Festival’s annual concert.

A clang of carbon fiber against metal caused Phil to look up from his phone.

“Miss Jennifer?”

“Oh, Mr. Lester, how many times have I told you to call me Mrs. Jenn?” Mrs. Jenn said happily as she set down her violin on the pavement.

“You’re married?”

“Yup!”

“Wow. I apologize, I didn’t know.”

“That’s quite alright. Your husband always tells me how you’re sometimes too busy to keep up with things.”

“Did he now?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Yeah, Dan and Abby haven’t been too happy with me lately.”

“Oh?”

Phil nods. “Yeah. I dunno, I just find it hard to appreciate classical music these days. Hell, I can’t even sit in a full hour concert without dozing off three minutes after the end of intermission.”

Mrs. Jenn, to Phil’s surprise, chuckles.

“Oh trust me, Mr. Lester, you’re not the only parent who says that to me.”

“Then what am I doing wrong?”

Mrs. Jenn turns to Phil, her face still maintaining its friendly aura. “You know what you’re doing wrong? You’re being close-minded.”

“I am?”

“Not a lot, just enough that it sets you apart from Dan and Abby. Sometimes you don’t attend all of the musical activities Abby participates in, unlike your husband.”

“Well… I just expect them all to be boring concerts like this one.”

Mrs. Jenn smiles her friendly youthful smile. “Think again. Go and watch your daughter’s solo. It doesn’t happen until after intermission, which will be over in about two minutes. If you decide to go, you better high-tail over before the ushers close the door.”

Mrs. Jenn stands up, grabs her violin case, and heads inside.

“Wait, Mrs. Jenn! Why are you late?”

“Oh, I had a gig to attend to.”

“Oh.”

“But of course I couldn’t miss my own student featured as a soloist in her final orchestra concert,” Mrs. Jenn smiled.

“Right.”

Mrs. Jenn then proceeded to head inside, and Phil decided to follow.

~

Phil slipped into the empty seat beside Dan last minute.

“Changed your mind, have you?”

“Shut up. I’m here to watch our daughter.”

“Someone finally talk some sense into you?”

Phil sighs. “Can we discuss this later?”

Dan, without looking Phil in the eye, nods. “Fine.”

The house lights dimmed and pinpointed to the grand stage. The orchestra quieted down quickly and applause filled the hall. The associate concertmaster elegantly strode onto the stage to take Abby’s seat for the solo portion of the concert.

A moment later, more applause ensued as Abby walked onto the stage as well, dressed in a long red dress that flowed like silk. Her hair was put up in a neat bun accented with a red flower clip. Phil thought her daughter looked absolutely beautiful when she walked to the center of the stage, violin and bow in hand. He felt a swell of pride.

The conductor was greeted with more applause as he walked over to his place at the podium. Abby lifted the violin up onto her shoulders and slowly placed the bow on her string.

The first note eased into being oh so humbly, filling up the space of the grand concert hall. Phil closed his eyes as he finally decided to let himself be lost in the beautiful and peaceful melody. Sounds of even more strings easing into the background filled his ears. The piece built up slowly until the climax, which left Phil on edge slightly, before suddenly the orchestra’s forte sound dissipated into a barely audible piano.

When the piece ended, Phil didn’t hesitate to be the first to stand up when the audience started clapping and cheering. He saw Abby showing her bright smile as she witnessed the standing ovation just for her.

And the next thing he knew, Phil was in tears.

Phil wasn’t really sobbing, but a few droplets escaped from his eyes and caressed his cheeks slowly. He felt the tips of someone’s fingers reach for his hand. Dan’s hand squeezed Phil’s gently. Blue eyes met brown and Dan smiled.

“She played wonderfully, didn’t she?”

Phil swallowed before replying, “It was beautiful.”

Phil focused his attention back on the stage, and he swore he saw Abby smiling directly at him and Dan.

And after the concert, when Abby emerged from the green room with her changing bag slung on right her shoulder and violin case in her left hand’s grip, Dan engulfed her in a hug.

“Good job, Abbers,” Dan whispered breathlessly, still overwhelmed by Abby’s performance.

“Thanks, dad,” Abby smiled.

Dan let go of Abby and she just stared at Phil, remnants of her grin still on her face. She didn’t know what to say, trying to find words in her head.

“Did… Did you like it?”

“Yes I did,” Phil smiled slightly.

Abby nearly knocked the wind out of Phil when she set down her violin case and bag and wrapped her arms around Phil, trying to blink away any threats of tears forming. She nuzzled her head into Phil’s chest. Phil’s eyes felt warm, threatening more tears as well. He’d never felt so proud.

“You played so beautifully out there, Abby. I’m so, so proud of you and how far you’ve come.”

Abby felt like a bright lantern, as if her body was illuminating and glowing, radiating happiness and warmth. She had finally moved her papa. It wasn’t just bland praise, but it was Phil finally letting his daughter know that he truly did appreciate her gift.

Even from then on Phil didn’t cry after Abby played a huge solo, she still knew how both of her fathers felt about her playing. Phil appreciated it just as much as Dan, and Abby didn’t need it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I did it! I wrote my first oneshot! I’m excited to finally start writing Phanfiction on Tumblr! (I’m two days late for Phan week damn it.) Hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> Small Dedications:
> 
> First, dedicated to one of my online best friends, Abby, who secretly inspired me to start writing Phanfiction. Love you Abbers!
> 
> Also dedicated to my teacher, whose first name is Jennifer. She’s the reason for my violin skills and teaching me the real reason why we play music. J


End file.
